Shawnta S. Barnes
RECENT POSTS
Posted June 17, 2020
This Juneteenth I’m Challenging Educators to Emancipate Themselves From a Colonized Curriculum
When Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, this marked the end of slavery in the United States … that is…
Posted Jan. 17, 2020
Teachers, Why Are We Quicker to Call Parents About Kids’ Behavior Than About Their Academic Performance?
Recently, I came across a tweet that resonated with my beliefs: This is problematic. As an educator, I know behavior…
Posted Jan. 15, 2020
Here’s Why Every Teacher Needs a Mentor
Regardless of your profession, mentorship can be powerful. We need long term teacher mentoring in education. This is one way…
Posted Dec. 17, 2019
The Week Before Winter Break Doesn’t Have to Be a Nightmare
One of the hardest weeks of the school year is the week before winter break. The turn up is real.…
Posted Dec. 2, 2019
These Students Let Their Textbook Publisher Know Nobody ‘Needed’ Slavery
Fourth-grade teacher, Laura Wooley, was preparing her students for an upcoming social studies test using a McGraw-Hill textbook. During the…
Posted Nov. 15, 2019
Using Chosen Names and Pronouns for Students Is Important
If you have been reading my work long enough, you know I am adamant about teachers pronouncing students’ names correctly. A…
Posted Oct. 18, 2019
4 Tips for Parents to Get the Most out of Parent-Teacher Conferences
Many schools are preparing for their first conferences with parents. Unlike Back-to-School Night where parents receive general information about the…
Posted Sep. 23, 2019
If We Don’t Give Students the Freedom to Choose What They Read, They May Choose Not to Read at All
Once again there is a story about censorship in schools. A Catholic school in Tennessee has decided their students should not…
Posted July 12, 2019
Here Are 8 Things That Make a Good School
Educators have difficulty agreeing upon what makes a “good school.” My thoughts about this topic have continued to change as…
Posted Nov. 13, 2018
I’m a Teacher and I Stopped Saying the Pledge of Allegiance a Long Time Ago
Good morning students. Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States…
